South Africa plans emergency steel tariff from July - WTO SA plans steel import tariffs

01 May 2017

The Citizen, 29 April 2017
By Staff Reporter

South Africa is proposing to put emergency “safeguard” tariffs on imports of certain steel products from July, it said in a filing published by the World Trade Organization this week.

The tariff would be in place for three years, and fall from 12% in the first year to 10% in the second year and 8% in the third, it said.

South Africa said the proposal was based on a final determination by its International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC).

ITAC began investigating the case for safeguard tariffs in March 2016.

Many developing countries are exempt from the tariff, but imports from major producers such as China and India would be covered by it.

In a separate case, South Africa had also been considering putting a 10% safeguard tariff on coldrolled steel.

But earlier this week South Africa told a WTO committee meeting that ITAC had recommended ending the investigation into coldrolled steel, a source said. South Africa’s representative told the WTO meeting that ITAC’s decision was not final and the government still needed to consider comments from all parties. – Reuters